I really hope Joss doesn't kill anyone JUST because everyone expects him too.

Everyone will die when Thanos come out of hiding anyway.... and then be brought back. >_> <_<

Hopefully, Whedon will defy expectation by not killing anyone. At this point it's such an expected trope of his that he would shock the audience more by not resorting to it for the millionth time. Finding innovative ways to ratchet up the danger for the heroes short of offing one of them might take more creativity but I'm sure he's got it in him to do it.

__________________"It’s something that’s easy to take for granted, growing up in the United States as a white male, that my cinematic heroes look like me...It’s something that over the course of these ten years, having a certain amount of power over what type of movies are made and what type of actors we hire, I want everybody to have that feeling. We don’t take it for granted that people want to see themselves reflected in our heroes and our characters." ~ Kevin Feige

Hopefully, Whedon will defy expectation by not killing anyone. At this point it's such an expected trope of his that he would shock the audience more by not resorting to it for the millionth time. Finding innovative ways to ratchet up the danger for the heroes short of offing one of them might take more creativity but I'm sure he's got it in him to do it.

I think the easiest way would to have Ultron start nuking cities. That'll be much more dangerous and threatening than "U KILD MUH FWEND!!"